50 Movie Robots Ranked From Good To Evil

    "I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that."

    Louis Peitzman
    by Louis Peitzman

    BuzzFeed News Reporter

    From Metropolis to Ex Machina, cinematic robots have proven themselves to be formidable friends or foes. NOTE: For the purposes of this list, "robot" is defined loosely to include automatons, androids, and any machines capable of artificial intelligence. Feel free to yell about this in the comments.

    50. The Iron Giant, The Iron Giant (1999)

    Warner Bros.

    Sure, he looks imposing, but the Iron Giant sacrifices himself to save a town from certain doom. He also befriends a lonely 9-year-old boy, which is really just going above and beyond.

    49. Baymax, Big Hero 6 (2014)

    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

    Baymax's sole purpose is to help people — he's literally a health care companion. He's also super snuggly and comforts Hiro after Hiro's brother Tadashi is killed. What could be more healing than a robot hug?

    48. C-3PO, Star Wars (1977)

    20th Century Fox

    He may not set out to fight alongside the Rebels, but he definitely does his part. Speaking multiple languages and facilitating human-cyborg relations are useful skills to have, even if he is a little annoying at times.

    47. R2-D2, Star Wars (1977)

    20th Century Fox

    Like C-3PO but sassier. Still: a droid hero.

    46. The Terminator/T-800, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

    Lionsgate

    Yes, the Terminator was the villain in the first one, but in the sequel, he returns as one of the good guys, tasked with protecting John and Sarah Connor. He even self-terminates in a vat of molten steel to thwart the robot apocalypse (for a bit).

    45. Rodney Copperbottom, Robots (2005)

    20th Century Fox

    He's a little robot with big dreams. Rodney ends up saving all of the older robots that have been deemed inferior, which is just like saving mankind if you're a robot.

    44. David, A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

    DreamWorks Pictures

    Poor David was taught how to love. That makes him more innately good than other robot companions, but it also means he suffers a lot after he's abandoned. David does lash out from time to time, though only in self-defense.

    43. Sonny, I, Robot (2004)

    20th Century Fox

    What's interesting about Sonny is that he's programmed to ignore the Three Laws, which means he can kill humans. And he does kill at least one, but only when he's forced to. Otherwise, he chooses to fight on the side of good.

    42. Optimus Prime, Transformers (2007)

    DreamWorks Pictures

    To his credit, Optimus Prime does save the world — and it's not even because he was programmed to do so! But he's also kind of a dick, consistently choosing violence over conflict resolution and doing serious damage along the way.

    41. Bishop, Aliens (1986)

    20th Century Fox

    It's hard to trust Bishop after the shit the last android pulled. But as he proves over the course of Aliens, he is a loyal ally who does his best to soldier on even after he's literally ripped in half.

    40. Andrew Martin, Bicentennial Man (1999)

    Buena Vista Pictures

    As an android, Andrew is helpful and kind — he's purchased to perform various housekeeping duties. But as he evolves, he becomes more and more human, which, frankly, comes with a lot more moral ambiguity than being a robot.

    39. Jinx, SpaceCamp (1986)

    20th Century Fox

    Yes, Jinx does help a group of kids successfully navigate their way back from outer space — but that's only after he accidentally launches them into orbit! Jinx isn't really good or evil: He's just overly literal.

    38. WALL-E, WALL-E (2008)

    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

    WALL-E is obviously the cutest robot on this list, but in terms of the actual good he does, he's not exactly a hero. For the most part, he's motivated by love for another robot, which is noble but not quite selfless.

    37. EVE, WALL-E (2008)

    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

    Like WALL-E but initially a lot colder and more mission-driven. At least she develops true feelings for WALL-E eventually.

    36. GERTY, Moon (2009)

    Sony Pictures Classics

    In the beginning, GERTY works against his astronaut companion, Sam, because that's what his programming has taught him to do. But he comes around and ultimately decides to help Sam uncover the truth. He's the anti–HAL 9000, basically.

    35. Robby the Robot, Forbidden Planet (1956)

    MGM

    One of the most iconic movie robots, Robby is pretty neutral — he's generally helpful and he can't harm humans. There's not much more to him. Sorry, Robby! You still have the distinction of being one of the first.

    34. Gigolo Joe, A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

    DreamWorks Pictures

    Like David, Gigolo Joe has been taught to love, but, uh, in a more physical way. Anyway, he provides a noble service and looks like he's really good at his job. And while he's accused of murder, he didn't do it!

    33. Dot Matrix, Spaceballs (1987)

    MGM

    Joan Rivers as C-3PO is an intriguing concept, and Dot Matrix is a pretty delightful part of Mel Brooks' Star Wars parody. As for where she falls on the good-evil spectrum, she's basically good but also a total cockblock for Vespa, which is evil.

    32. Samantha, Her (2013)

    Warner Bros.

    Samantha is initially a good-natured assistant to Theodore, but she matures, falls in love, and eventually surpasses human intelligence. She's a heartbreaker, yes, though she's not malicious — just beyond what we can understand.

    31. Johnny Five, Short Circuit (1986)

    TriStar Pictures

    While he's also pretty damn cute, Johnny Five is motivated entirely by self-interest. He was also built for war, which makes him hard to trust. All that power and a childlike curiosity do not mix!

    30. Daryl, D.A.R.Y.L. (1985)

    Paramount Pictures

    Yes, he's just a kid, but this robot was created to be a supersoldier. It might be unfair to hold that against him, but like most children, Daryl isn't particularly good or evil. He just doesn't want to be destroyed, which, fair.

    29. Marvin, the Paranoid Android, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

    Buena Vista

    Again, Marvin doesn't really do anything, unless you count moping around. He's neither good nor bad — just depressed as hell.

    28. Simone, Simone (2002)

    New Line Cinema

    Simone is yet another neutral creation. She develops some poor habits toward the end of the film, though that's only because her creator, Viktor, is trying to destroy her public image. There's something sinister about her independence, but it's not evil.

    27. Rachael, Blade Runner (1982)

    Warner Bros.

    She's not good, she's not bad, she's just human. Well, not exactly. But Rachael is a replicant who has been implanted with false memories so convincing that she truly believes she's not an android. She's ultimately a tragic, ambiguous figure.

    26. Chappie, Chappie (2015)

    Columbia Pictures

    Chappie is definitely intended to be one of the good guys, but he falls in with the wrong crowd and gets tricked into a life of petty crime. Even after his redemption, he's still motivated by revenge and displays rather violent tendencies.

    25. BB, Deadly Friend (1986)

    Warner Bros.

    BB packs a punch — yes, toward people who deserve it, like a carjacker in the opening scene, but that's still kind of unsettling. Also, Samantha's eventual rampage couldn't have happened without BB's questionable programming inside her.

    24. RoboCop, RoboCop (1987)

    20th Century Fox

    While RoboCop is created as a crime-fighting force for good, he's also rather high on the violence. Not to mention the fact that he has an agenda of his own, thanks to the human parts in his android body — vengeance is a dark trait.

    23. Gort, The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

    20th Century Fox

    I know what you're thinking: Didn't Gort kill people? Yes, a few. But remember that was about serving the greater good — he and his alien companion, Klaatu, come to Earth to save the planet from its inevitable destruction. Collateral damage happens.

    22. Ava, Ex Machina (2015)

    A24

    Without giving away too much of the plot to Ex Machina, which is currently playing in limited theaters throughout the U.S., Ava manipulates and ultimately reveals that her self-interest trumps everything else. On the other hand, given her situation, can you really blame her?

    21. Stepford Wives, The Stepford Wives (1975)

    Columbia Pictures

    There's something frightening about the Stepford Wives, but the whole point is that they lack agency: They're completely subservient to their husbands, who are the real villains here. But Joanna's double does strangle her to death, so...

    20. Samantha, Deadly Friend (1986)

    Warner Bros.

    For the most part, Samantha's victims totally deserve it. On the other hand, exploding someone's head with a basketball is never really OK. She also kills her creator for no real reason, which is equally uncool.

    19. Vanessa Kensington, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)

    New Line Cinema

    The twist that Vanessa was a fembot all along made zero sense, which, of course, made it all that much funnier. As a robot, she's clearly evil, but you can't discount all the good Vanessa did in the first movie, for whatever reason.

    18. David, Prometheus (2012)

    20th Century Fox

    David is a total pain in the ass — he's more self-aware than the androids who came before him (er, after, since this is a prequel), which means he realizes he's better than humans. And he purposely infects a crew member, because science!

    17. Pris, Blade Runner (1982)

    Warner Bros.

    Kudos to Pris for evolving past her role as a "basic pleasure model." Of course, she uses her replicant powers for evil rather than good, but she looks incredible doing it. And she's less unbalanced than the appropriately named Roy Batty.

    16. Auto, WALL-E (2008)

    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

    Auto is a clear homage to HAL 9000 — more on him soon, promise! — but unlike HAL, Auto's programming is what makes him evil. So, you know, hard to fault him too much. That having been said, he nearly kills WALL-E, and that's unforgivable.

    15. ED-209, RoboCop (1987)

    20th Century Fox

    Designed to enforce the law like RoboCop, but without any of the nuance or ambiguity, ED-209 is a ruthless killing machine. Sometimes he also kills the wrong people, because he's just not a very good robot.

    14. Mechagodzilla, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)

    Toho

    When Mechagodzilla shows up, Godzilla has already made peace with mankind. Thanks for mucking things up again, Mecha! Again, Mechagodzilla lacks agency — he's really just a weapon wielded by an alien race. Still.

    13. AMEE, Red Planet (2000)

    Warner Bros.

    AMEE is one of those helpful robots who suddenly turns on her human companions. In this case, it's out of self-defense — or so the confused robot thinks — but she kills a whole lot of people for no real reason.

    12. The Gunslinger, Westworld (1973)

    MGM

    Terrifying? Definitely. However, it's difficult to know where the Gunslinger falls on the good-evil spectrum, because his violent rampage is somewhere between a system malfunction and a robot gaining sentience. Either way: Run.

    11. Roy Batty, Blade Runner (1982)

    Warner Bros.

    Roy does have agency — he's leading a replicant rebellion, after all. But while he clearly has a great capacity for violence, his evil is tempered by his weirdly emotional final speech. Like, yes, he's a bad guy, but he's also just a piece of work.

    10. Ash, Alien (1979)

    20th Century Fox

    Ash is insanely creepy, and that's way before he violently lashes out at Ripley and tries to kill her. The fact that he's just following orders is sort of an excuse, because, you know, android. But he seems to get off on it all too. Shudder.

    9. Hector, Saturn 3 (1980)

    Shout! Factory

    Hector's bad behavior — he murders a lot of people — is the result of a psychic link he shares to a serial killer. That's not quite sentience or agency, but it's enough innate badness to place him firmly in the evil category.

    8. The Terminator/T-800, The Terminator (1984)

    Lionsgate

    Before he was playfully dropping "hasta la vista, baby," the original Terminator was just terminating — or trying to. Tasked with murdering Sarah Connor and preventing her son John from being born, this T-800 is a nearly unstoppable killing machine.

    7. T-1000, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

    Lionsgate

    Like the T-800 but with even scarier powers. (He can melt into a mercury puddle and shapeshift! He wears a police uniform!)

    6. T-X, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

    Warner Bros.

    Like the T-1000 and the T-800, but stronger and more deadly than the two of them combined. Note the higher body count!

    5. Maschinenmensch/Maria, Metropolis (1927)

    Kino Lorber Films

    Bow down to the original! Maria's robot double is created to sow discord and wreak havoc, and she's seriously great at it. While she is, once again, under her human creator's control, she's clearly one of science fiction's most evil creations.

    4. Ro-Man, Robot Monster (1953)

    Image Entertainment

    While he's the silliest-looking robot on this list, Ro-Man is effective. By the time the movie begins, he's already destroyed almost the entire human race. In the end, he's thwarted by love — why couldn't that have happened before he killed billions?

    3. SID 6.7, Virtuosity (1995)

    Paramount Pictures

    Well, he's a serial killer, so there's that. His origins are also fuzzy — he's a virtual reality entity who somehow births himself into the real world as an android. However he was created, SID can do bad all by himself.

    2. HAL 9000, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

    MGM

    HAL 9000 is the best example of a helpful robot turning against humanity. In this case, HAL seems to develop sentience: Unlike the vast majority of evil robots on this list, he's truly evil by his own making. That's extra impressive — and frightening.

    1. Megatron, Transformers (2007)

    DreamWorks Pictures

    Still, it's hard to compete with Megatron, an independent extraterrestrial robot who serves no one but himself. Also, he wants to take over the entire universe. Those are lofty goals befitting a truly evil supervillain.